13-13 Is Not A Bad Start !

I just spent 4 nights and a few days at Buck somebody or other's in Milwaukee. The bar is 50 yards long, and the brats and beer superb.

I was there for the annual meeting of the "owners association" of the South Mexican Independent Dirt field League.

As you may have heard, there is some flu going around in Mexico so we thought we'd beat that and head north, where it is too cold for flu virus to endure.

There are also a number of Yankees I hope will soon return to our league; Edwar, Veras, Albaladejo, Aceves to name three. Truth be told, those guys were better position players when we had them at the Cantina than they have ever been as pitchers.

I have better players right now than any of these guys, but it draws more locals to the games when there are verifiable major league failures in town. And tequila prices go up 25 cents a pop.

For those of you who do not know, I've received a number of hate letters and emails for a pre-season prediction I made about this year's Yankee team winding up in third place.

The most intense anti Alphonso attitudes seem post-marked either in Tampa or near 161st street and River Ave. in the Bronx.

So here's how I see things now:

1. Teixeira has been a great addition to our infield defense. But Doug Mankewiecz ( I will never spell his name right, ever, and I don't care ) was just as good defensively, hit better and cost a lot less.

OK: Tex is younger.

2. Brett Gardiner has worked out pretty much as I predicted.

3. Age and its consequences may be looking at certain guys in the mirror, right now. Jorge was hitting a ton, but can't walk or squat. Now Molina is hurt.

Jesus, where are you and are you ready. Is that mega forge in Indiana still operating so they can manufacture a face mask large enough for a guy 6'7" and weighing 340?

4. I'm trying to recall how I thought Joba would do as a starter.......

5. Let's not even consider that we could be watching the opening scenes in the final curtain of Mr. Rivera. Back-to-back dingers last night? Many game losing dingers to the Red Sox? The Tigers?

I have never seen MO pulled from a game. Never. Now I have.

I don't want to see this again.

6. I'm beginning to think Andy might be better as our long relief guy.

7. Derek continues to defy time. But I can see the " grind" beginning to stetch his skin. Soon, something on his body will snap.

8. Nady's gone; Chin Ming is gone ( I'm thrilled that he had a good outing against Tampa Central high School ). Swisher is fun but watching him pitch when we were 24 runs down was shocking.

When we had a good team, this type of humiliation never even go to the horizon of possibility.

9. We have more automatic outs in our lineup than a national league cellar dwellar, including their pitcher. And now we add Cervelli as our top catcher.

10. So A-Rod returns tonight as savior. I hope he brings Manny juice for everyone.

The last photo I saw of him in his "hip rehab games," was walking back to the dugout with that post "strikeout-in-big-game situation" look in his eyes.

He had just fanned on a curve ball against a 17 year old.

He is ready.

11. The walls are crumbling. Our stoppers aren't stopping losing streaks. This team showed no heart during their last at bats last night. Even Robbie went back to just flailing at anything.

Everyone went numb after MO collapsed, and stayed that way.

This is worse than I thought.

All things considered, then, 13-13 ain't so bad.

Of course, we are dependant upon the KC Royals for our hot streaks.